Vulnerable people’s digital inclusion: intersectionality patterns and associated lessons

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a study of focus groups on three vulnerable population categories (ethnic minorities, older people and people with disabilities) and explores the patterns of intersectionality in these populations’ digital inclusion and its role in their social inclusion. The paper illustrates the value of the concept of intersectionality within the study of the aforementioned three vulnerable populations’ digital inclusion and questions the existing evidence available on the roles of nationality, ageing and disability in their digital inclusion. It identifies patterns of intersectionality that stress the role of individuality and life circumstances (such as life changes and periods of transition), as well as the stigma and concomitant experiences of social marginalisation regarding the digital inclusion of these populations. The paper concludes by pointing out the policy significance of intersectional patterns in the digital domain and calls for a systematic study of the different categories of the cultural and social specificities of vulnerability.

KEYWORDS:

• Age
• digital inclusion
• disability
• intersectionality
• nationality
• vulnerability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Read at: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/47th-session/documents/2016-2-IAEG-SDGs-Rev1-E.pdf.

2 See at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-digital-inclusion-strategy/government-digital-inclusion-strategy.

3 See data and statistics at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/understandingwellbeinginequalitieswhohasthepoorestpersonalwellbeing/2018-07-11; https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/race-report-statistics; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-digital-strategy/2-digitalskills-and-inclusion-giving-everyone-access-to-the-digital-skills-they-need.

4 This paper uses the term people with disabilities (PwDs) and not ‘disabled people’, as it puts the person before the disability and does not define identity by disability.

5 According to the UK 2011 Census, 13% of the population were ethnic minorities. Also, one in five of the UK population were disabled (https://www.dlf.org.uk/content/key-facts), and nearly 12 million people were 65 years of age and above (https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/later_life_uk_factsheet.pdf).

6 See at: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/ageing/ageing_facts/en.

7 For an overview of Cumming and Henry's Disengagement Theory and Baltes and Baltes' Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory, read Tsatsou, 2021.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, University of Leicester [Grant Number S15RE106].

Notes on contributors

Panayiota Tsatsou

Panayiota Tsatsou, my research interests lie in the broader field of digital media research. I research the areas of digital inclusion and Internet studies and I have published widely on the role of vulnerable and ordinary people as well as of researchers as digital media actors. My work aims to contribute to innovative and evidence-based solutions to issues arising in people’s relationships with digital media. I have secured funding of my research mostly from various funding bodies in the UK and I have developed research collaborations with research and third sector organisations in the UK and internationally. For more information on my research and publications please see at https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/media/people/dr-panayiota-tsatsou [Email: [email protected]].